Maroons sail past Lakers of Spring Lake, open defense of state title

The Holland Christian football team made Spring Lake contend with more than a fierce crosswind and soggy conditions.

It was rough sailing for the Lakers against the defending Division 4 state champs.

Holland Christian marched to a 28-6 victory Friday and earned the 10th-ranked Maroons a trip to play at unbeaten Grand Rapids West Catholic Friday in the MHSAA Division 4 district finals. West Catholic defeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central 25-6 Friday.

ALAN BABBITT

The Holland Christian football team made Spring Lake contend with more than a fierce crosswind and soggy conditions.

It was rough sailing for the Lakers against the defending Division 4 state champs.

Holland Christian marched to a 28-6 victory Friday and earned the 10th-ranked Maroons a trip to play at unbeaten Grand Rapids West Catholic Friday in the MHSAA Division 4 district finals. West Catholic defeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central 25-6 Friday.

The Maroons (8-2) bounced back from last week’s loss at Byron Center in miserable, muddy conditions that cost them a share of the O-K Green Conference title.

“I think we’re getting used to these bad weather conditions,” Holland Christian coach Tim Lont said. “I don’t think these kids care at this point in time. Just let us keep playing football. That’s the attitude I feel with them.”

The Maroons gave Lont his first postseason win in four tries. He returned as head coach after Willie Snead III left after one unbeaten season.

Holland Christian outgained Spring Lake (7-3) 379-247 yards.

The Maroons recovered two fumbles, stopped the Lakers twice on fourth down and intercepted one pass.

“(Assistant coach Tom Hochhalter) did a great job getting the defense ready,” Lont said. “I don’t think there are too many people who can run on (defensive linemen) Cam Kiekintveld and Troy Rietsma. (Linebacker) Bryson Altvater was faster than the center. He was beating the center to the snap some of the time.”

“(The weather) ruined our passing game,” Brackett said. “But with our run game we had a couple good drives going (in the first half), but we had too many costly mistakes. We lost a couple fumbles, which we couldn’t afford to do.”

On offense, Holland Christian quarterback Nic Kiekover completed 17 of 33 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for a team-high 95 yards on 17 carries.

Running back Matthew Hochhalter became Holland Christian’s all-time leading scorer when he reached the end zone on a 9-yard run to end the second half’s opening possession.

The senior now has 186 career points — four more than former quarterback A.J. Westendorp, who led the Maroons to last year’s state title and is now on football scholarship at Central Michigan University.

Five minutes later, Kiekover tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Reid Compagner to close the scoring.

Running back Conlin Britton had two first-half touchdowns.

With 33 seconds remaining in the first quarter, he put Holland Christian on the board by catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kiekover on 4th-and-13.

Britton plunged into the end zone from 3 yards out with 2:44 remaining in the first half to cap a 44-yard drive set up by a 25-yard Spring Lake punt.

“We just weren’t ready for what they did offensively,” said Brackett, who also played safety. “It was really hard adjusting (to the four-receiver set). Our scout team doesn’t have the speed of their wide receivers, so it was hard simulating that in practice.”